Want possession of Afzal’s body, not concessions: Family

Reiterating their demand for return of body of Muhammad Afzal Guru, family members of the recently executed 2001-parliament-attack-convict, have refused to accept any offer from the Government of India ‘which does not guarantee the return of mortal remains of Guru to them’.

Pledging to fight a legal battle for securing the body of Guru, who was hanged on Feb 9 at Dehi’s Tihar Jail, the family said they have enough resources to travel on their own.

“We don’t need any assistance for flying to Delhi from the state or central government. We have enough resources to do it on our own. We’re determined to pursue every legal option to get the body back”, Aijaz Guru, brother of Afzal told KNS. He said they were not craving for such offers or concesions from the government.

“As Muslims we can pray for Afzal from here,” Yasin Guru told media from the family’s hometown of Sopore in the Kashmir Valley. “We will go to Tihar only if the government of India is kind enough to hand us his body for burial here.”

As per media reports, in order to calm down the rising tempers in valley, Government of India is likely to airlift the family of Mohammad Afzal Guru to Delhi to allow them to perform special prayers at his grave in Tihar jail.

Sources said that the possibility was being explored after the issue was discussed at a high level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh late last evening in Delhi.

Meanwhile, the family of Guru has submitted an application to Director General Prisons, Delhi seeking initiation of procedures for handing over the body of Afzal’s to them. Through their counsel, N D Pancholi, the family has also asked for handing over belongings of Afzal Guru to his family. According to the letter, a copy of which lies with KNS, the family through its lawyer N D Pancholi has also asked for assurances for permitting the family to offer prayers at Afzal’s grave, before they travel to New Delhi.

Home secretary R K Sigh has said the family of Afzal Guru, who was hanged last week for his role in the 2001 Parliament attack, will be allowed to visit his grave inside Tihar jail. “We have no problem if immediate family of Afzal Guru wants to come and offer prayers at his grave in Tihar jail”, Home Secretary R. K. Singh told media in Delhi. He said all belongings of Guru left behind in Tihar Jail will be handed over to his family. (KNS)

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